


i need to tell you (i can't tell you).

by turtle_bean



Series: trans peter parker ficlets. [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Anxious Peter Parker, Awkward Peter Parker, Coming Out, FTM Peter Parker, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Happy Ending, I'm Bad At Titles, Irondad, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Light Angst, Nervous Peter Parker, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, Peter Parker Cannot Lie, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Male Peter Parker, Trans Peter Parker, Worried Peter Parker, no beta we die like gladiators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29471226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtle_bean/pseuds/turtle_bean
Summary: "I need to tell you something, Mr. Stark. I'm transgender. This doesn't change anything. I'm still the Peter that you know."(the "and love" was left hanging in the air.)--or, peter struggles with coming out as trans to tony.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: trans peter parker ficlets. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164743
Comments: 3
Kudos: 174





	i need to tell you (i can't tell you).

"Hey, kid," Tony said as Peter entered the lab, hands rolled up in his sweater.

Tony had been around Peter long enough to know when the boy was feeling anxious, and sweater-paws were a big red flag. But Tony had also been around Peter long enough to know that confronting him about absolutely anything would only result in Peter stammering out a terrible attempt at a lie, so Tony pretended not to notice anything amiss.

Peter, meanwhile, was rehearsing his short speech in his head:

 _"I need to tell you something, Mr. Stark. I'm transgender. This doesn't change anything. I'm still the Peter that you know."_ (the "and love" was left hanging in the air.)

Sure, it sounded incredibly scripted, but this was a big moment, and Peter couldn't screw it up.

He _couldn't._

_He couldn't lose anyone else._

The hours ticked by, Tony shooting Peter worried glances that Peter pretended not to notice, and Peter attempted to concentrate on his calculus homework, while running through the script in his head. 

"H-Hey, Mr. Stark?" Peter said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What's up, bambino?" Tony tried to keep the worry from seeping into his tone, but he failed miserably. 

"It's - uh..." Peter bit his lip and re-rolled his hands into his sweater sleeves. "I... have this friend."

"Ted or Scary Michelle?"

"Um...someone else? Yeah. His name is... Percival."

"Percival."

"Yeah. Yeah, Percival. Anyway. So, uh, Percival has to tell his... this guy he, er, cares about. Uh, he has to tell them something big. And he's worried that the guy he cares about won't like him anymore after he tells them."

Tony resisted an eye roll at a) how terrible Peter was at lying - jeez, how did anyone not know he was Spider-Man? - and b) how the kid thought that anything could stop Tony from caring about him.

"Ok. So, Percival is trying to figure out if he should tell the 'guy he cares about' this 'something big?'"

Peter nodded, not making eye contact with Tony.

"Well, if you want my two cents, I think that he should go for it. If the guy is worth caring about, then they'll be okay with whatever it is. And it's not healthy to carry a lot of secrets."

Peter scrunched up his nose and bit at his bottom lip. "The guy is like Percival's daaa- mother. Mother." Peter shot a quick glance to Tony, making sure that the man hadn't caught his mistake and connected the dots. No way was Peter ready to admit that to Tony yet. "Um, yeah, 'guy' doesn't have to be a gendered term, you know. I call everyone 'my guy' and 'my dude.' Well, unless it makes them uncomfortable, then..." Peter trailed off. "Sorry. Rambling. Anyway, uh, Percival's mother, and his aunt are dead. He doesn't want to lose this... guy, too."

Tony put a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder. "I'm sure he won't, bud."

Peter took a deep breath. "O-Okay. I actually have something to, uh, tell you, too."

"Yeah?"

"The truth is... I... am... lactose intolerant."

"What? Kid, why am I just hearing about this now? I swear to god, if you've been getting yourself sick eating dairy food just because you don't want to bother me, I will actually forbid you from apologizing to me."

Peter flushed and looked away. "No, I -"

"Nuh-uh, the adult is talking. I don't want you to make yourself sick on my account, Peter. I want you to be healthy for me."

"No, Mr. Stark -"

"I'll even cut dairy out of my diet if it would help -"

"I'm trans!" Peter blurted out, face redder than a tomato. Tony went silent. "I-I'm not lactose intolerant. I... don't know why I said that."

Tony bit his lip, desperately trying to stop a giant laugh from bubbling out of him, because this was no laughing matter, but it was really difficult. After taking a few deep breaths while Peter looked utterly petrified, Tony brought the boy into a hug.

"That doesn't change a single thing, Pete. Wait, trans as in -"

"Yeah, as in I've already started transitioning," Peter said, wiping his moist eyes on the back of his hand as he pulled away from the embrace. "I'm still a guy."

"Not just any guy, Peter. You're my son."

Peter's eyes filled with tears, and for a terrifying moment, Tony thought that he had said the wrong thing. But then, the spider-child launched himself at Tony, clinging to him for life. "I love you, Pete, okay?"

Peter nodded into Tony's shoulder.

**Author's Note:**

> so, this is the first ficlet in my trans peter collection! if you have a request, feel free to comment.  
> hope you enjoyed!  
> <3


End file.
